Recent Reviews

"They performed the MOT in a quick and timely manner. Afterwards, he offered his advice on the problem I had been having and that it is worth fixing considering the condition of the vehicle which was reassuring to hear from a professional."

"Shockley autocentre were quick at doing my mot and letting me know what work was needed to be done to it. They then fixed my wind screen wash pump and charged me a very reasonable amount for it. Really pleased with the work and customer service."

"Due to working funny hours, they collected my car early in the morning, did the MOT, phoned me with what was needed to be done, repaired it and returned it by the time i got home from work. Just a normal day for me but i had my car sorted stress free and the staff were lovely. Would definitely recommend them."

What does a car radiator do?

A car radiator disperses heat away from the main engine block. A car engine works by burning fuel (whether petrol or diesel),
and this generates a considerable amount of heat. In addition, a car engine has many moving parts; this movement creates friction, which in turn
adds to the heat.

Because a car engine must remain not too hot in order to avoid overheating and seizure,
when it reaches a certain temperature the thermostat opens to allow the flow of coolant and water around the engine and back to the radiator, where it loses heat to the cooler surrounding air. The front grill of the car allows outside air to blow over the radiator. If the radiator gets too hot, for example on a very hot day, or when the car is stationary, a fan behind the radiator starts, helping to blow air over it.

The most common reason for needing a car radiator repair is a leak.
There are many seals, gaskets and hoses in the cooling system that can deteriorate or get a hole in them.
Furthermore, every radiator needs to be properly maintained and the coolant must be kept topped up.
Your garage should provide coolant changes at the same time as your annual service.

It’s also a good idea to check your car’s coolant level regularly. If it seems to be dropping a lot, then you may have a leak in the cooling system.

About Kia

Founded in 1944 as a maker of handmade steel tubing and bicycle parts, the company known today as Kia opened its first automotive assembly line in 1973 and built a small range of cars known as Brisa in 1981. After a bit of a lull, they really started pumping out the vehicles again in 1986, and partnered up with Ford.

Kia Motors Corporation is headquartered in Seoul, and is South Korea's second-largest auto manufacturer, just beyond Hyundai. According to Kia themselves, the name roughly translates to “rising out of Asia”. Nowadays they offer up a very impressive seven-year warranty on all their cars to please many drivers, and they are consistently rated highly across the board.

The style of older Kias on the road used to be quite questionable, but thanks to a modern makeover, cars from this Korean brand now sport stylish, trendy designs. The current range includes a wide spectrum of vehicles, from the compact Venga city car to the Sorento SUV. The Pro Ceed hot hatch is great for drivers looking for a better, stronger performance and Kia even offers the Soul EV, a fully electric vehicle, for those who after after eco-friendliness and cheap running costs.

How can you save money (and the environment) while you drive?

As every garage owner will tell you, there are some tried and tested ways to cut down on your petrol costs
(and consumption) while you’re out and about in Westerham or beyond. One is to shut your windows. If you can hear that wind
noise in your car it’s costing you more to drive. This is because the car becomes less aerodynamic and has to work harder to
motor along. Removing a roof rack will improve your fuel efficiency for the same reason. Another useful tip is to combine short
trips into one; each time you drive after your car has been parked for a while the engine will be cold and need to use a
lot more fuel for the first 5 miles or so. If you do one trip from school drop-off to supermarket to office you’ll use far
less fuel than if you do all those trips individually.